Early life

Grzegorz Wojciech Ryś^[1] was born on 9 February 1964 in Kraków. In 1982–1988, he studied at the Faculty of Theology and the Faculty of History of the Church of the Pontifical Academy of Theology in Kraków, as well as at the Major Seminary of the Archdiocese of Kraków.^[2] He was ordained a priest on 22 May 1988 in the Wawel Cathedral by Cardinal Franciszek Macharski, then the Metropolitan Archbishop of Kraków.^[3] In 1994, Ryś earned a doctorate in theological sciences based on his dissertation about Medieval folk piety in Poland. In 2000, having completed a dissertation on Jan Hus, Ryś obtained a post-doctoral degree in the field of history.^[4]

Priestly ministry

From 1988 to 1989, Ryś worked as a vicar in the parish of Saints Margaret and Catherine in Kęty.^[5] From 2004 to 2007, he was the director of the Archives of the Metropolitan Chapter in Kraków.^[2] He was also a commentator on the pilgrimages of John Paul II on Polish Television and Polish Radio. After the latter's death, Ryś co-organized vigils, while during the beatification process he sat on the historical commission of the Rogatory Tribunal.^[6]

He became the head of the Department of Church History in the Middle Ages and the Department of Ancient and Medieval History at the Institute of History at the Faculty of History and Cultural Heritage of the Pontifical University of John Paul II (formerly the Pontifical Academy of Theology).^[5] From 2007 to 2011, Ryś was the rector of the Major Seminary of the Archdiocese of Kraków. In the years 2010 and 2011, he also served as chairman of the Conference of Rectors of the Theological Seminary in Poland.^[2]

Auxiliary Bishop of Kraków

On 16 July 2011, Ryś was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI as auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Kraków as well as the titular bishop of Arcavica.^[7] He was ordained on 28 September 2011 in the Wawel Cathedral, with the consecrator being Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz, metropolitan archbishop of Kraków, and co-consecrators cardinals Franciszek Macharski, archbishop emeritus of Kraków, and Stanisław Ryłko, chairman of the Pontifical Council for the Laity.^[3] Ryś chose "Virtus in infirmitate" (Power in Weakness) as his bishop's motto.^[8]

Archbishop of Łódź

On 14 September 2017 Pope Francis appointed Ryś archbishop of Łódź.^[9] He was installed as archbishop in the Archcathedral Basilica of St. Stanislaus Kostka on 4 November 2017.^[3] On 29 June 2018 was given his pallium in a ceremony at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome,^[10] and it was imposed on him on 5 October 2018 in the Łódź cathedral by Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio, the Apostolic Nuncio in Poland.^[11]

In 2018, Ryś convened the fourth synod in the history of the Archdiocese of Łódź, which considered introducing a permanent diaconate to combat the shortage of priests.^[12] In 2019, he introduced a permanent diaconate within his archdiocese,^[13] and also created the International Diocesan Missionary Seminary for the new Evangelization of Redemptoris Mater for seminarians who are part of the Neocatechumenal Way.^[14]

On 25 June 2020 Ryś was appointed by Pope Francis as the Apostolic Administrator sede plena for the Diocese of Kalisz while Bishop Edward Janiak was investigated on charges he had protected "predator priests" who engaged in acts of sex abuse.^[15][16] He was named Apostolic Administrator sede vacante when Pope Francis accepted Janiak's resignation on 17 October 2020.^[17] His mission ended as the new bishop of Kalisz, Damian Bryl, was installed.

On 21 November 2020, Pope Francis named him as a member of the Congregation for Bishops.^[18]

Cardinal

On 9 July 2023, Pope Francis announced that he planned to make Ryś a cardinal.^[19][20] At a consistory on September 30 2023, Ryś was made cardinal priest of Santi Cirillo e Metodio.^[21]